Incidence of stroke and traumatic brain injury in new Zealand: contrasting the BIONIC and ARCOS-IV studies
Barker-Collo, S.; Krishnamurthi, R.; Theadom, A.; Jones, K.; Starkey, N.; Feigin, V.
New Zealand Medical Journal 132(1502): 40-54
2019
ISSN/ISBN: 1175-8716 PMID: 31563926 Document Number: 699828
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and stroke are the main causes of acquired brain injury. The differences in demographic profiles of stroke and TBI suggest that high-quality epidemiological studies of the two be compared. This study examined incidence of stroke and TBI by age and ethnicity in New Zealand. Incidence rates are presented by age and ethnicity from two New Zealand population-based epidemiological studies (Brain Injury Outcomes New Zealand In the Community (BIONIC); and Auckland Regional Outcomes of Stroke Studies (ARCOS-IV)). Males and females had similar stroke risk, while males had 2x relative risk of mild TBI and 3x the relative risk of moderate/severe TBI compared to females. More TBI cases (35.6%) were identified through non-medical sources compared to stroke (3%). Incidence of TBI was greater than 5 times that of stroke. New Zealand European/Pākehā had the highest TBI incidence when less than 5 years of age, while Māori had the highest incidence after five years of age. For stroke, Pacific people and Māori had higher incidences until 75-84 years, after which Europeans had higher incidence. Differences in TBI and stroke incidence suggest targeting prevention very differently for the two groups. Incidence profiles suggest TBI is much more common; and a need to target males and those of Māori ethnicity for TBI prevention.